


The seven secrets

by willowmellontree



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Hidden Power, Light Angst, M/M, POV First Person, Telekinesis, Telepathy, if I put anymore down then it would ruin the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:15:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26426236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willowmellontree/pseuds/willowmellontree
Summary: A story where Jack finds out some of Ianto's hidden secrets. Each one makes Jack fall in love with him a little bit more.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Kudos: 39





	1. TELEKINESIS

It was after the thing with the Cyber woman when I noticed something wasn’t quite right. Obviously no one was really taking any notice of Ianto and the air became icy thick whenever he came into the room, but that was to be expected. After all, he was the one who hid the Cyber woman down in the basement, to begin with. It took a while to understand that it wasn’t entirely his fault and that at some point we should forgive him but the wound was too fresh at the moment.

Ianto seemed to avoid everyone unless he was cleaning up or making coffee. He could somehow sneak in and out without anyone noticing so one minute he was there and the next, he was gone. Come to think of it, the air changed back as soon as he was gone. Strange.

One afternoon, I decided to seek him out. The rest of the team had gone home early since there was nothing on and Ianto hadn’t answered his com so I had to make sure everything was alright. I slowly walked down to the low levels, with a hand near my Webley just in case. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Ianto because I did, but it more of the fact that the lower levels hadn’t been cleaned out properly since the late nineteenth century and anything could be living down there.

I didn’t call his name out, one because the room would echo and anything too loud could cause the entire place to fall in and two, because Ianto doesn’t like people bothering his work. Even if it’s for something important. I think he takes his work more seriously than the others. People often say that it’s Tosh but she’s the most devoted. If there’s any difference between the two. Owen’s the most skilled when it comes to being out on the field and obviously anything medical and Gwen… She hasn’t been here long enough to show her true colours.

When I did find Ianto, I almost swore loudly. Almost being because I was too shocked to speak. Ianto was sitting on an old chair with files flying all around him. He seemed to notice me almost immediately because he turned around and everything that was in the air, dropped to the ground. The look on his face was like when a dear gets caught in the headlights.

At this point, I normally would’ve been shouting something at him but I was completely still.

“Was there anything you needed sir?” He asked me like he hadn’t just been making things fly around the room. There was a slight tremor in his voice but he didn’t let it show.

I couldn’t move and was speechless. “You…what? But How?”

Ianto closed his eyes for a second and took a breath before speaking. “Yes sir, I am Telekinetic. Would you like some coffee?”

It’s amazing how he can just through something like that aside like it’s a perfectly normal thing to be able to do. “If you don’t mind.”

He started walking back up to the main hub and I followed him, completely baffled. I mean, how could I miss that someone was doing this for month’s right under my nose. We reached the small kitchen and Ianto started to make two cups of his brilliant coffee.

He handed one of the mugs to me and searched my face. “You’re not going to tell the others are you, sir?” He asked uncertainly. “It’s not really something I want anyone knowing.”

“I won’t tell them.” I heard myself promise. “Though I do have a few questions, like why haven’t I noticed you doing it? And when did you get it? And do you have any more magic powers?”

Ianto gave me a small smile and leant up against the counter. “I’ve had it as long as I can remember and I don’t go around using it all the time. I just got bored so…”

“You decided to make files fly.” I finished for him. “It’s quite impressive.”

He smiled again but this time it was wider. Ianto’s cute when he smiles. Ok, he’s always cute but it makes him even cuter. “I use it at home sometimes.” He continued. “Like when I leave my tie in the other room and I can’t be bothered to get it or when I need something quickly.”

I took a sip of the coffee. “Have I ever told you that you’re amazing Ianto Jones.” There’s an unwritten rule that I follow. I’m not allowed to have a conversation with anyone without a little bit of flirting. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t flirt.

Ianto blushed. “Multiple times sir.”

He then left the room, probably to go back to the deepest place in Cardiff and defy the laws of gravity. I thought I heard him laugh as if he heard that comment, which would be impossible since I said it in my mind. That was a conversation for another time.

I went back to my office to finish the coffee and to try and write up a report for Unit. Not what I wanted to be doing but I had no choice.


	2. HYPERTHYMESIA

Ianto I and didn’t really get time to speak after that. The rift started acting up again and then there was the matter with the Fae.

There was a space of three days between the last rift spike and when we were going to head out to the Brecon Beacons. Owen suggested we did some fun online quizzes to see who was best at something or other. I forgot exactly what he said because I was watching Ianto pick up empty pizza boxes. He was wearing one of his more tightly fitted suits with his purple buttoned-down shirt and a silk black tie. I held my breath and tried not to think about undressing him (It was impossible.) He turned and we locked eyes for a second before he went back to taking the rubbish out. I remembered the kiss we shared the other week after he picked a leaf off the tree we were under. The leaf was right at the top and the tree was a great oak so it was quite obvious he was showing off. Then he kissed me and walked away without explanation.

Back to the present. Tosh got a quiz online and I leant forward to see what she had chosen.

“How many digits of pie can you remember and write down in a minute,” Owen complained. “When I said fun, I meant general knowledge or movies.”

Tosh rolled her eyes. “You said fun. This it my sort of fun.” She scrolled down the page. “I think you’re just supposed to put the digits in this space and it’ll tell you how many you get right at the end.”

Gwen came forward. “I’ll see how many I can get and you have to try and beat it.”

Owen snorted and crossed his arms. “With Tosh in the room, that should be pretty easy.”

Ianto had come back in from taking the rubbish out and stood himself next to Tosh. “None of us should look. That way we can’t cheat.”

I nodded in agreement. “I’ll keep score.” I didn’t really want to play. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair. I’ve been alive over a hundred years longer than the rest of them. Ianto, Tosh and Owen moved out of the way of the computer and Gwen started the timer. She did better than I thought she would and got a score of 9 right and 16 wrong. She stood back and Owen had a go. He only got eight right but only got three wrong which in some way was better. Of course, Tosh did better with 38 correct and only one wrong.

“I should’ve got that write.” She said out loud. Tosh stepped out of the computer and Ianto took her place.

“Ready?” I asked him.

He looked up to me and smiled. “We had to learn the first 100 numbers of pi in my first year at secondary school. I should be fine.”

And he was. I knew he was fast at typing but his hands flew over the keyboard. After the minute was up, Ianto pulled away from the desk and grinned. I looked at the screen. 100 correct answers. He never fails to amaze me. “But…what?” Once again, I was speechless.

“It’s called Hyperthymesia sir.” He stood up and came close to me. The others left when they felt the atmosphere between us change. “Means I can retain any and all information. Useful down in the archives.”

The gap between us gradually grew smaller. “You’re brilliant.”

Once again he blushed. “I’m not Jack. It’s just one of those things. I’m nothing special.”

It breaks my heart when he doesn’t see himself the way I see him. It’s like he doesn’t expect them and when he gets them then he asks like he doesn’t deserve them. In my eyes, he deserves all the compliments in the world. If only he knew.

I reached over and cupped my hand around his cheek. “But you are though.” Once again he looked doubtful. “Ianto Jones you’re so extraordinary and beautiful and I wish I never met you because I don’t think I could ever let you go.” I kissed him before he had a chance to protest.


	3. TELEPATHY

A few months went by and I spent quite a lot of time with Ianto in the lower levels. There were hardly any CCTV cameras down there so the others couldn’t see what we were up to. They just thought we were having sex and although we were, it wasn’t very often. Ianto and I just enjoyed each other’s company. Sometimes we didn’t even talk. Sometimes he sorted through some old files while I did some paper work. On special occasions when neither of us felt like work or sex, we just sat next to each other while Ianto made origami birds and made them fly. Those times were beautiful and mesmerising and honestly, they were my favourite.

One day, we had a prisoner and Ianto and I was in charge of interrogating. The prisoner in question was telling us his side of the story and I almost believed him. Almost. It was very convincing but Ianto was getting more and more uncomfortable. I didn’t question it at first until it got too much.

“Ianto, what’s the matter?” I asked him in a low voice. The prisoner seemed offended I had interrupted the story but Ianto is more important.

“He’s lying.” He told me.

The prisoner tried to stand up. “Oi, I isn’t lying.”

I ignored the prisoner. “Explain,” I told Ianto.

He bit his lip. “It didn’t happen like that and he isn’t who he says he is.”

The prisoner pointed an accusing finger at him. “He’s bloody mad that one. Not right in the ‘ead.”

I rolled my eyes and pretended to be bored. “How do you know?”

“I can hear his thoughts.” He paused. “He was thinking that he could fool us with the accent and play the victim even though he’s the one that captured the aliens and murdered them.”

I smiled softly and maybe even tiredly. I had been a long sleepless weekend. “You’re telepathic?”

He nodded. “I don’t use it all the time. I can switch it on and off which is just as well. I don’t want to intrude on people’s privacy.”

I took his hand under the table and the prisoner spoke up. I think he knew that he lost. “Well, you’re intruding on my privacy!” He was now speaking in a Liverpool accent.

“So you don’t deny that you murdered anyone,” I stated. I then turned to Ianto. “Could you go and make some coffee while I lock him up in the cells. He nodded and I called him back. “Tell the others they can go home.”

Ianto hesitated for a second and bit his lip. “Are we going to my flat tonight?” He asked.

I nodded. “Might as well. Then we’ll take a bath, order pizza and sleep for a thousand years.”

I saw a sweet smile spread across his face as he left and I turned back to deal with the prisoner. When we got to his flat and had washed and gotten into pyjamas, we snuggled together on the sofa. I traced patterns on his arm with my thumb and he was falling to sleep. “Ianto?”

“Mmm?” He answered sleepily.

“Do you read my mind sometimes?” I asked.

He yawned. “Yeah. Only when we’re alone though.”

“So you know what I think about you,” I stated.

Ianto paused for a second and nodded.

“Then why don’t you believe me?” I pressed a small kiss to his cheek.

He sat up slightly and looked at me with sad eyes. “Just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.”

I pulled him into a hug. “How can you not know how much…” There’s so many words to describe him but I didn’t know which one to say. “I adore you Ianto.”

Ianto looked at the floor. “You might change your mind in a month. You still don’t know everything about me Jack and if you knew, then you’d hate me.” He then left to go to the bathroom to do his teeth. I sat on the sofa for five minutes to try and understand what he meant but unless he told me, I would have no idea. I decided to let it pass for now headed to bed to wait for him.


	4. EMPATHY

After I came back from the year that never was, I was so glad to be back. The Master had inflicted so much pain and I died so many times that I wished maybe one of them would be permanent. The whole time I thought about my team. My family. I wanted to be with them more than anything. I wanted to see Ianto. I wanted to see his perfect smile, taste his wonderful coffee, smell his scent, hear his beautiful Welsh vowels and taste his soft lips. I just wanted him nearby even if it was just for a few seconds.

When I came back, I was surprised. The Doctor dropped me off later than he should’ve done and when showed myself the team, their eyes were filled with pain and anger. Gwen shouted like she always does and told me it was my fault. I couldn’t tell them where I’d been and it seemed all the trust I had worked on vanished into thin air. I wished I had never gone with the Doctor in the first place and I ran. I went all the way down to the lower levels, hid myself right at the back and cried. I never cried. I had to keep strong for the others and tell them everything was going to be ok.

I heard footsteps come closer and closer and then a pair of arms wrapped around me. I didn’t have to look up to know it was Ianto.

“What happened to you, Jack?” He asked quietly.

I shook my head. No point worrying him. “Nothing, I’m fine.”

He sighed. “You’re not. You’re scared and hurt. Like you’re wounded deep down. You’re drowning and you feel helpless and from what I remember, you’ve never felt like that all at once.” He tightened the hug.

“How do you know?” I asked. My voice sounded broken and I hated it.

“I can feel everything you’re feeling. Normally it’s just bits and pieces but this is so strong.” He kissed my head.

I sighed and muttered under my breath, “Empathetic. I should’ve guessed.”

“It’s useful.” He said lightly then he paused. “You know it’s ok to cry. I’ll be here for you as long as you need me and you can tell me anything.”

I think that’s what I needed to hear because the next moment I was sobbing into Ianto’s arms and telling him everything. He listened and he was there and I knew at that moment that I was falling in love. I don’t know why it had taken that long for me to figure it out but better late than never.

After there were no tears left to cry, Ianto provided me with tissues and held my hand. “You’re a little calmer now.” He stated. I was feeling way calmer.

“I don’t deserve you,” I said.

“You deserve better.” He said back.

I shook my head. “You are the best.”


	5. POSSIBLE FUTURES

It was Just after Gwen’s wedding when I came into the hub and saw Ianto sitting on the stairs and making a flower dance in the air. The others had found out about Ianto’s Telekinetic power a few weeks ago so he made no effort to hide it any more.

I sat down next to him. “Penny for your thoughts?” I leant in and kissed his forehead which made the flower drop onto his lap.

He looked at me and smiled softly. “Just this and that.” He said as he rested his head on my shoulder. “Jack?”

“Yeah?” I played with the flower.

“You know how I seem to be able to do all of this weird stuff?” He continued.

“Weird isn’t a word I would use but carry on,” I said.

He paused. “Well, I think I discovered another one. I think I can see possible futures.”

I nodded. “Ok. Explain a little bit.”

“Well with Gwen. I had a dream a few weeks ago. Either she would get married as a possible future or she turned down Rhys’s proposal because she went to the pub with Tosh and Owen and met someone. In this timeline, she didn’t go with them because Rhys was in.” He told his lover.

“And you had this dream before it happened,” I asked.

Ianto nodded. “And it happened exactly as I dreamed it. I only have them as dreams and it’s happened before but I thought they were just dreams.”

I put my arm around him. “If these happen again, you can’t tell the people it concerns what happens. It could change the future and that’s not good.”

“Can I tell you?” He asked me.

I thought about it for a second. “Only if it has nothing to do with me and only if it’s important.”

He bit his lip. “I had one last night.” He sat up straight and looked at me in alarm. “Jack. Tosh and Owen could die and sooner than expected.”

I looked at the now crumpled flower in my hand. I knew something like this would happen soon. “Was there another outcome?” I asked him.

He nodded. “Owen still dies but Tosh could make it.” He took my hand. “But those were two possible outcomes. There could be thousands of possible futures.”

I thought about it. “I think they might be the most likely. I think you see the two most likely possible futures and a small choice determines which one. Or if it’s neither, then it goes to one of the other thousands of futures.”

Ianto put his head on my shoulder again. “I hope I’m wrong.”

I swallowed. “Probably never going to say this again, but I hope you are too.”

We sat there for a few minutes before the alarm on the door rang and the other three came in. Ianto and I stood up and went back to work as nothing had ever happened.


	6. BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

Ianto and I didn’t talk about it again for weeks. The main reason being that we didn’t want Tosh or Owen to hear anything and by the time we got home, we were too tired to do anything. I knew that Ianto was keeping something hidden because he had that look on his face. The one where he wants to tell me something but he can’t for some reason so I let it slide. For now. 

I only had to wait for a week to find out what it was.

It was after I managed to secure my brother and get Gwen Ianto and John get of the cells. Ianto ran straight out into the main room and down to the medical bay where Tosh was lying there, nearly dead. I held her in my arms as she took her last breath of life and I cried. Ianto knelt down next to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Jack, You've got to get out of here. I don't want you to see this." He whispered in my ear so Gwen couldn't make out what he said.

I looked to him in confusion. "What don't you want me to see?"

He shook his head. "I don't have much time. Just trust me."

I placed a small kiss on his head and dragged Gwen out of the room. She tried to protest but I didn't let give in to her complaints and theories. Ianto asked me to trust him and I would trust him with my life. If I was mortal. Maybe a better thing to say is that I would trust him with my past present and future. It was oddly quiet in the medical bay and it was getting concerning.

"Ianto?" I called. "You ok?"

I heard Ianto's footsteps climb the stairs and he stood there with tear stains on his face. "I can't remember how to do it."

"Do what?" I asked. I stepped forward and he went back to the med bay so I followed him. He crouched down next to Tosh again and put his hands on the side of her head closed his eyes. I had no idea what he was trying to do but I don't think it was working. Then it clicked. "Ianto, what are you thinking?"

His eyes were still closed and he shook his head. "I can't do it, Jack."

I sighed. "Maybe that's the problem. Maybe to have to make yourself believe you can do it."

Ianto opened his eyes. "I can't..."

"Yes, you can Ianto. Believe in yourself and if you can't, then remember that I believe in you." I told him.

He smiled and took a deep breath. Then he closed his eyes and tried again. A few seconds later, Toshiko sat up and looked around in alarm. "What the hell was that?"

Ianto looked over at me and he bit his lip. Then he took Tosh's hand and handed her a bottle of water. "I'll explain it later." He stood up and started to walk away.

"What about Owen?" Tosh asked.

Ianto stopped but didn't turn around. "I couldn't have got there on time. I'm sorry." He continued to walk away and I helped Tosh back onto the table. I called Gwen in and asked her if Tosh could stay at her's for the night and she agreed so I helped her take Tosh to the car and I drove them to Gwen's flat.

I came back to the hub and Ianto was there waiting for me. He still had tears in his eyes and he looked like he was going to break down there and then so I ran to him and threw my arms around him. Neither of us said anything until I took him down to my bunker.

"I promised myself I wouldn't do that anymore." He told me quietly. I didn't say anything because I knew he had a story to tell and he needed me to listen more than anything. "I found out about it when I was thirteen. An old lady had been knocked over by a car and had been left there so I ran over to help. She didn't have a pulse and she was as cold as ice but I felt this energy swirl around in my head and the next thing I knew, she was alive. I called for an ambulance and they said it was a miracle. I thought it was great and I tried it on animals like run over cats and sparrows that had been killed by cats and I was the greatest feeling of all. That was until it started to go wrong. I realised it could go the other way..." He took my hand and I held it tight. "A hornet landed on Rhiannon and she was allergic to stings. I tried to get it off her and as soon as I touched it, the Hornet was killed."

I tried to keep calm in my mind for Ianto but sometimes it's impossible to do. Even if I could control my thoughts, there's no way to control my feelings. "What happened next?" I asked him.

He sighed. "I didn't really think about it. Just thought it was one of those things until it happened again. It was in Canary Wharf. I was hiding with a co-worker when one of the Cybermen found us. I was scared Jack and I thought about killing it and the next thing I knew, it was dead." He looked up at me. "From that moment on, I refused to use it. I tried not to use any of the other things I have but they can't really harm anyone."

Ianto looked scared at that moment. "But I know you wouldn't use it unless you had too."

He shook his head. "But I shouldn't be allowed to. No one should have the right to decide who lives and dies but I can't stop it."

"I know what you're thinking Ianto, and Don't!" I told him sternly. "It's not your fault."

"If someone else had that power, then you'd shoot them on the spot." He said and I knew he was right.

I pulled him into a hug. "But I know you wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose." He gave in in the end and we stayed there all night and talked about it.


	7. IMMORTALITY

Tosh had decided she wanted to take a break from Torchwood. After all, her contract had ended and she could do whatever she wanted so she went to Japan for a few months to see her mother. 

Ianto, Gwen and I worked together as best we could without arguing about something or other. Ianto often liked to use his gifts to his advantage like scaring Gwen with a flying Mask or resetting her passwords to something only she could remember. Then to try and get her own back, she tried to give him the longest list of specific things to put in her coffee but it backfired since he made if perfectly.

Then sometimes in important meetings with UNIT, when I knew he was reading my mind, I sent him some rather naked images. The look on his face was hilarious but I stopped grinning after he opened the window and the rain came in. 

On the day the children stopped, Ianto came up to me with a worried look on his face.

"Ianto?" I asked.

"Had a dream." He replied and went to make coffee. Two hours later, the children of the world stopped and that's when everything fell apart. I blew the hub up and it was painful. Kind of felt like someone peeling my skin off bit by bit but in reverse. I was chained up in a cell and I had no idea if Ianto and Gwen were ok. Then I thought about Tosh. If someone was trying to kill Torchwood, then I needed to warn her. All thoughts were blocked off when they decided to fill the cell with concrete. I didn't really remember anything after that until I found myself naked in the bottom of a Quarry with Ianto standing there. He handed me a coat and we got inside the car.

We stayed inside an old Torchwood Wearhouse for a while before Ianto and I went to confront the 456. What I wasn't expecting was for it to gas the whole building. 

"Ianto. Ianto stay with me. Please." I cried.

He just looked up to me. "I'm sorry Jack."

And then I realised. "You knew this was going to happen."

"It was either this or watching the world end." He told me. 

I held him tighter. I was losing him. "I don't think I can do this without you." I felt hot tears run down my face.

He tried to smile. "You'll manage. You won't remember me in a thousand years anyway." His voice was getting weaker.

"Yes, I will. I couldn't forget you if I tried." I said.

We paused. I could see the light fading from his eyes. At least he wasn't in pain. "Jack, I love you..."

"No please!" He was gone. I felt the darkness overpower me. I didn't even get a chance to say it back and he'll never know.

* * *

When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Gwen. Then I sat up and looked over to the sheet next to me. I took it off and looked at his body and I couldn't stop the tears from coming again. 

But then he sat up.

Ianto's seventh gift. Immortality. I should've guessed.

He looked over to me. "I didn't know." He said. His voice was a bit rough but that always happens. 

His first time then. 

I took his hand and pulled him up. "Are you alright."

Ianto breathed for a bit. "I'll get used to it."

"I couldn't say it," I told him.

"You don't have to. I know you do." He pulled me into a hug. "Thank you."

"What for?" I asked.

He pulled back a little. "For excepting me." He smiled. "We still have a planet to save."

He dragged me out of the room and I told Gwen to go back to Wales. Ianto and I battled the 456 without anyone else getting hurt and we went to his flat and slept.

We spent eternity together. We saved planets and helped people and travelled time and space once I got my Vortex manipulator fixed. We never let each other go and when it was finally time to die, we died together and got the peace we deserved. That's the end of this story and I hope you remember one thing. No matter what Ianto's secrets were, no matter how dark they were. I still loved him and I always will.


End file.
